Coulda Woulda Shoulda

We headed out into the BC wilderness on Saturday and ended up lounging poolside by Blackcomb mountain on Sunday. This weekend is a great example of why I love D and I why I feel so grateful for moments of spontaneity. We headed to Alice Lake for a day hike, in our hiking gear, with enough water to last a few hours. After surviving without stumbling upon a bear, we got back to the car and decided hey, do we wanna head home? Nah, let's head to Whistler, stay at the Fairmont & pamper ourselves for 24 hours. We had been there before and knew what to expect. All we needed was the right $$ answer from the lovely Crystal on the reservation line & we were set. A quick trip to Marks & we had underwear, outfits for dinner & gear for the spa & pools with views. I'm lucky & privileged that I can just pick up & go whenever I want. Cliche as it sounds, you only get one ride on this roller coaster. I'm so glad, even with my feet firmly planted, that the ...

The last weekend of the unofficial summer has begun. I'm so ready for all the new percolating ideas I've had over the last month to come to fruition. Bringing travel & exploration back into my life & on this blog. Hope you enjoy the ride with me.

Incredible. So many magical places around the globe. Photo Of The Day: The Ganges River At Dawn

Standing in Waterstones on Piccadilly Circus, stumbled upon this and realized probably 10 years ago at this time, I was purchasing this guide, gearing up for our first set of travels. What a different person I was then. What a lucky explorer I am today

Tea kettle and proper tea in every hotel room. Pints in pubs. The number of times you can say "cheers" in one verbal exchange. Breakfast. Ordering at the bar. The adoration of queueing and the organization that follows. Slim tonic. Jacket potatoes. Proper cheese trays, ready-made from the shop. Plethora of French wine in grocery stores. Great craic.

2 days. 2 long nights. Incredible reconnecting with some of my favourite people. My love affair with Belfast continues...

Magical day wandering the streets of an incredible academic hub.

Not sure the last time I've seen this side of 5 am. After fighting to get back to sleep for 2 hours, I decided I might as well get up. My body seems to have it backwards... My internal system should be 8 hours behind, not ahead. But perhaps it has been the excitement of the last few days. Being back in the UK. Reconnecting with family. Being on actual holiday. There is something extremely precious about being awake when the sun is yawning up. When the birds start their daily cooing. When the world is still. So although I would like to be dreaming peacefully right now, I'll take this gift and savour it. The quiet start to a new day.

In less than two weeks, I will be on UK soil. It will be a flashback and a new adventure all at the same time. Flashback because we have not been there in 4.5 years (!!) and it feels like yesterday we set off on our Asia excursion. It felt like home for so long; it's strange to think that I've been away that long. New adventure because for the first time, we'll be on vacation with D's family, abroad together in his parents' homeland, enjoying each others company while also doing it in such a picturesque place like the countryside of England. To top it off, we arrive on the day before the London  2012 Olympics close. Still reeling with pride from experiencing it live during Vancouver 2010, I can't wait to soak up a bit of that hometown pride that I'm sure is spilling out all over the country. I'm a lucky girl ... looking forward to feeling revived and re-energized by a trip down memory lane, filled with new memories.

Having just returned from 3 weeks visiting friends and family, I must say quality can beat out quantity any time. I feel even more solid in my belief that combining close relationships with a nomadic lifestyle is achievable. There are challenges, risks, sacrifices and yet, what life doesn't have these things? I have more write here, things I discovered about myself on this journey, things that came to light because of this journey and things that I've learned next time would be better to do (bring my travel partner D for starters) It was a great trip home. Filled with stories and memories I hope to share. But mostly, now, I'm enjoying being back on my couch, implementing the ideas that percolate when you surround yourself with the energy of loving friends and family.

We only had two weeks in Thailand during our six month trek through Asia and Russia, which in hindsight was certainly not enough time but at least a put-together tourist place like these islands made it easy for us to relax. Anyone who has been to Thailand will tell you of ‘must go’ places; specific islands that your trip will be lost without. But in reality, as with all destinations, each island has its own magic, similar to each other in the same fantastical ways and yet special and unique enough to help create a very personal experience. We spent three nights on Koh Tao during our short trip, at the suggestion of a friend, who later revealed to me that this moment I shared with this man and his fishing rod, is one she was privileged to experience as well. It’s easy to get caught up in the tourist flow of a place, especially Thailand. Everywhere you look, there is something for YOU. Scuba diving lessons, ENGLISH breakfast, cheap room rates, FREE Internet with purchase of coff...

I spent the month of August in Dallas (potentially not the BEST month to visit Texas, however..) for work and did manage to learn a few things about the lovely, wonderful people of that grand state .. or at least the Dallas area. 1. You will be called Ma’am. Street art As a Canadian, I’m used to politeness but there is something significantly special about the way the people in Texas converse with each other and people they’ve just met. Their every word appears to just drip with southern kindness topped off with a lovely smile and “you have a nice day now you hear and come back real soon.” 2. You better enjoy meats. And large potatoes. And very large amounts of food. Lunch? The portion sizes are always a shock for us Canadians but I’ve got family in northern States and I’m not certain that I’ve ever seen as much food presented as a one-person meal as I’ve ever seen in my life. The BBQ’ed anything was to die for and the steaks were thicker than my head. Oh and did I mention the ...

Being somewhere means you have an opportunity to experience something. That means, if you are on a beach in Mexico, you have as many margaritas as you can and eat as much tortilla as humanly possible. If you’re hiking the Mournes in Northern Ireland, you make sure to stop when the sun comes out to admire a rare view. And if you’re at home, where you live, where you work, where you don’t necessarily think of yourself on vacation, you find the things that make the place where you are incredibly special and you make sure you soak in all of those places. I’ve heard it called a ‘staycation’, which I like, though I would go further than that and say this is more a state of mind. Sure, it’s easier to explore when you have multiple days off in a row but that doesn’t mean you can’t experience at least some form of discovery each day. I am lucky that I do have the hours in my day to make this possible. I don’t commute as I have a home office and I don’t have children that need me. Both o...